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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · cap · stem · current · stock · ruler · race · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. staff — employees
  3. stock — shares
  4. cap — a hat
  5. key — in music
  6. staff — a stick
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stem — to come from
  9. current — happening now
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. current — electric
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stock — goods
  15. race — a contest
  16. staff — employees
  17. current — of water
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. race — the arms race
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. race — humankind
  24. ruler — a monarch

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com